Mystical Prague. Part One

Actually, I was going to write about the Prague subway … But tonight quite a mystical adventure has happened. I was awakened at night because of the fact, that someone was talking loudly over my head. I didn’t catch the words, I only heard someone mumbling. I thought that it were the neighbors above. But suddenly I remembered, that I have no neighbors above, because I live on the top floor! Then I thought that it might be workers, who were installing the antenna. But what kind of workers could work at half past three in the morning?! Maybe the pigeons? Oh no, pigeons coo, but I heard someone says something. So I sit on the bed, sleepy, and I thought: “This is it. The ghosts are here.”

In general, I don’t care about mysticism. But in such case my sleep is disturbed. I got up of the bed. I went to the pantry for a mop. I knocked at the ceiling. It seems to be silent. “Well, thank you” – I thought. Do what you want, but do not disturb my sleep.

As soon as I fell asleep, I heard again: “Bu-bu-bu”. So I used the mop again. Silence. Then again the muttering. It repeated for 5 times and then my patience was exhausted. I stood up. I was angry and sleepy, so I went down to the ground floor and asked the concierge for the keys to the attic. Concierge was also angry because I woke him up. He looked at me like I was an idiot and he asked me about the keys. I honestly replied him, that on the attic there were the ghosts, which disturbed the sleep. Concierge (oddly enough) reacted to my statement with the understanding, and moreover, that he gave me the keys, he offered to keep my company. So, armed with keys and a lantern, we went to the attic. In the attic there was dusty and dark. We searched for the source of noise, but there was nothing. Suddenly, right over our heads we heard someone speaking with funereal voice in Czech:

-That is a-a-a-a-ll.

We were in fright. Concierge crossed. Twice. And here again:

-That is a-a-a-a-ll.

And then immediately:

— Who’s next? Thank you very much. As always beautiful.

I lighted the place and I saw a large gray parrot sitting on a beam. Concierge gasped and used bad language.

It felt easier, but I will remember this “That is a-a-a-a-ll” for a lifetime.

The parrot was tame and did not resist. The bird was wrapped in a jacket and was transported to the room of concierge. It turned out that the parrot flew away from the hairdresser from the second floor. Once it became clear why the bird had such vocabulary. Neither I, nor concierge could sleep. So I invited him to my apartment, where I entertained my new fellow with a cup of Turkish coffee with piping-cold Borjomi for contrast (Borjomi invigorates very much)

During the having a cup of coffee, I asked the concierge:

— Pan Svoboda (this is his surname), why haven’t you sent me to hell with my requests about the ghosts?

He answered:

-Pan Bolotny, why should I be surprised if there are a lot of ghosts in Prague? The city is old, the ghosts are stored up. It seems to me, that the ghosts are the indigenous inhabitants, and all the Czechs are only the guests in the city.

So we laughed and parted.

Well, I don’t want to write about the subways anymore, because there is more interesting theme to write about… mystical places in Prague. It will be my next post.